snippets from my very simple, very blessed life

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Daddy’s truck

In several instances in my life, it hasn’t been until years – usually many many years – after an event or experience that I’ve looked back and realized just how uniquely blessed I have been. A large percentage of those blessings that I’ve taken for granted at the time have to do with my parents. As an adult, I have realized just how elaborately God blessed me when I was born the daughter of Bo & Ginger Leporati.

My dad got a truck last night. Daddy’s truck. I like the sound of that. My dad has always preferred pickup trucks, so it seems. He usually had pickup trucks when I was growing up. I remember when I was in high school, the truck he really had his eye on was an extended cab Dodge Ram. When I was a sophomore in high school, he got one. I remember the day he came home with it. He was smiling ear to ear and told us, “Go look under the carport. Look what I got today.” Melissa, Jana (our exchange student from Switzerland), and I all went to peek out the door. The truck was sitting there right before our eyes, but we didn’t believe it was truly his. He had talked about wanting one, but was sure he couldn’t afford it. He convinced us though, and told us the almost unbelievable story of how he got an amazing deal on it. (Truly, that story became famous among my friends. My friend, Joey, was so amazed that he said, “I’m taking Daddy Bo with me next time I go buy a truck!”) He was proud of that truck and took great care of it. He always has taken great care of his vehicles.

Not long after he got the beloved Dodge Ram – either during my junior or senior year – he sold it and bought me a car. He drove a company car from then (1997, I believe) until probably at least ten years later. During that time, he didn’t have a personal vehicle. He drove the company car for business and Mama’s van for personal errands. Around 2007, I would guess, he bought Memaw’s old car for Mama and he drove the van. Once the van was no longer drivable, he bought a used SUV for himself. Mama has since gotten a new car – a convertible, which is what she’s always wanted. Then just last night, Daddy finally got a truck again.

It’s a great truck. I went and saw it tonight. I even test drove it around their neighborhood. It’s awesome. It has all kinds of bells and whistles. It just suits Daddy to have a truck. It genuinely keeps putting a smile on my face to think that Daddy finally has a truck again. He finally has a truck after selling his beloved truck to buy me a car as a teenager and spending a decade without a personal vehicle of his own. He is the most selfless person I know.

I also might add that he is retired and all of his children are grown. His youngest child is 33 years old. But because he is such a family man, he bought a large enough truck that he can drive several adults around at once and nobody will be crowded. I’m ready for the next road trip to Dallas to visit my sister, Ashley, and her family. Also, when he showed me his truck tonight, Sayid was a bit hesitant, but Daddy gave him a boost into the bed of the truck. I told Daddy that if Sayid ever rode back there, I would want him to be restrained with a leash. Daddy’s response was, “I wouldn’t make him ride back here.” Even his grandpuppy would be allowed to ride inside the cab. And like I said, Daddy doesn’t keep a junky vehicle. What a sweet man he is.

When I was seventeen and my parents gave me my first car, I was thankful for it, but I just assumed that was how it was supposed to be. That’s just how it worked. Parents (at least my parents, and I think I assumed most other parents) bought their teenager a car. As an adult I realized they didn’t have to do that. It certainly wouldn’t have made them bad parents if they had made me work and buy a car with my own money. But the fact that my dad was without a personal vehicle so I (his child with her entitled mentality) could have one was overwhelmingly selfless. Wow. Selfless, indeed.

I am so blessed to belong to Bo & Ginger. I’m certainly not their daughter because I deserve to be so remarkably blessed, but I sure am glad God picked me for them.

Soon I’ll have to write about Daddy’s selflessness regarding my middle school basketball career. Career is quite the exaggeration. Stay tuned. You’ll see.